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We’ve all heard of argan oil before, often referred to as ‘liquid gold‘ that will beautify your skin in no time. Nowadays, it’s used in a lot of skincare and hair products, and we immediately assume it must be a great product then. But what do you really know about argan oil? Before I move on to the review, let me quickly tell you something about argan oil and its purposes.

Argan oil is produced from the argan tree, which only grows in Morocco. The oil naturally contains vitamin E, linoleic and alpha-linolenic (two essential fatty acids), which is great for healing (skin) infections, wounds, bug bites and scars. Because of its curative ingredients, argan oil was traditionally used for all kinds of purposes, from a medicine to treat skin and joint pain issues, to a dip for bread or flavor enhancer for Moroccan dishes.

Argan oil is commonly used as a skin moisturizer, body oil, hair oil, shampoo and conditioner. Some people even claim that argan oil can also cure acne, but this isn’t dermatologically proven yet. (Source)

Now you know the basics of argan oil, let’s move on to the review!

I found this serum at a bargain shop in Spain for a bargain price of €1,50 and the main reason I bought it was because I was looking for an Estée Lauder Advanced Night Serum dupe. The package looks practically the same and I figured it’s worth trying out for this price.

Package

Just like the Estée Lauder serum, the Argan Oil Night Repair serum comes in a small, glass bottle. The bottle is a little heavy and comes with a pipette which makes the serum looks like a high-end product. The serum is available in two sizes: 30 ml and 50ml. I own the 30ml one.

Amazon sells this exact same serum for €19,99 but apparently, the serum is available for a lot cheaper in bargain shops.

What does the serum do?

Intensive hydrating treatment for the skin

Non-Greasy and Quick-Absorbing

Repairs and rejuvenates leaving skin smooth and healthy

Ideal for after shower or bath use

First thoughts

I applied this serum every night, for a month (cleanser > toner > serum > moisturizer). At first, I wasn’t convinced this serum would be any good because of its strong fragrance. I felt like the serum was 80% fragrance and 20% argan oil. The white substance was very liquid, so just a little bit goes a long way. Applying this serum felt like putting a lot of chemicals on my face. However, I still decided to keep applying this serum for a month.

Results

Surprisingly, the serum did improve my skin a little. My skin felt really smooth the next morning and my makeup appeared better too. As promised, the serum is non-greasy and absorbs quickly, but it did not significantly repair my skin. Maybe I should’ve used the serum for a little longer but I really dislike the strong fragrance, so I think I’ll pass.

Recommendation

The Argan Oil Night Repair Serum is most suitable for people with a dry skin. Don’t expect this serum to extremely change your skin condition, keep in mind that it’s available from €1,50. I don’t think this serum will have the same effect as the Estée Lauder Night Serum. Besides its package, I don’t think it should be seen as a dupe. If you’re looking for a (cheap) serum to hydrate and smoothen your skin, this might be exactly what you need!

Tip: If you’re looking for a natural / non-chemical way to get rid of scars, acne or bruises, you might want to try out aloe vera (gel)! There’s a post about the purposes of aloe vera coming up!

Today I’ll be reviewing the Estée Lauder Double Wear (Stay-In-Place) foundation. I bought this foundation a year ago during my holidays in the USA, I can’t exactly recall in which city I bought the foundation but I do remember buying it at Sephora. The original Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation comes in a heavy, frosted glass bottle without a pump or anything, so I used the pump of an old Smashbox foundation and placed it on my new foundation. However, Estée Lauder does sell its own pumps for €4.

Now I would usually not impulse-buy a €44 high-end foundation which I don’t even need, but ya know, I did it anyways and I’m happy I did. I’ve been in love with this foundation ever since I’ve worn it for the first time. I have some dark spots on my face which I usually cover up with concealer but with the Double Wear foundation, I don’t even need to cover up my spots. This foundation has a great full coverage and another plus: it really does stay on all day (or longer).

The Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation is available in 38 (!) shades, so make sure you get the shade that really matches your skin.The shade I own is 4W1 (Honey Bronze). The foundation is suitable for any skin type and any kind of weather.

I think paying €44 for a foundation like this, is a great investment. I bought this foundation a year ago and there’s still more than half left. Obviously, I don’t wear this foundation to school every single day but you don’t even need a lot of it when you’re applying it to your face. I would definitely recommend this foundation!

Do you also love buying new lipsticks, even though you have an entire stack of old lipsticks at home? If you’re as addicted to lipsticks, lipglosses and lip balms as I am, definitely keep reading! Today I’ll be showing you my top #5 favorite lipsticks + a short review.

#1 Clinique + Jonathan Adler Pop Lip Colour

I always thought that Clinique lipsticks were way overpriced for its quality but turns out, I was so wrong. Past November, I bought the Clinique miniature skincare set for €16. The set included:

If you’d like a review of another product in the set below, let me know!

And I immediately fell in love with the Pop Lip Colour lipstick, in shade 14 Plum Pop. It does not dry out or turn darker after a few hours, in fact, the lipstick is really moisturizing. Unfortunately, the Pop Lip Colour doesn’t seem long-lasting to me. I’ve worn the lipstick for an entire day at school (09:00 – 18:00) and had to keep re-applying after I drank or ate something. I drink a lot of water throughout the day so it was really inconvenient. But besides that, I love the colour and feeling this lipstick brings along

#2 DIOR Couture Colour Lipstick Comfort & Wear

I actually bought this lipstick a few days ago, because I still had a gift card to use. If I didn’t have the gift card, I probably wouldn’t even look at these kinds of high-end lipsticks. Let’s be honest, would you be willing to pay €38 for a lipstick? I know I wouldn’t.

Anyways, I do love it. The lipstick I bought is in the shade 964 Ambitious Matte. It’s long-lasting and the name already says it: it’s pretty comforting to wear. The lipstick doesn’t dry out my lips but it doesn’t feel heavy or too much either. Besides, it’s highly pigmented which I really like since my lips are naturally a little dark.

If you’re able to spend a little more on make-up than most of us, I’d definitely recommend this lipstick. But I’m convinced that there are much cheaper, similar lipsticks out there with the same quality (e.g. a classic Chanel lipstick costs €33 ).

#3 KIKO Milano Smart Fusion Lipstick

I am so in love with KIKO Milano. In a short time, KIKO grew to be one of the most popular budget/quality make-up brand. KIKO Milano has a big assortment, from skincare to nail polish…One of the products I love most is the KIKO Milano Smart Fusion Lipstick. I keep buying this lipstick over and over again because it’s simply amazing.

The Smart Fusion lipsticks are rich and nourishing for your lips and leaves a creamy finish (all – day – long)!

The lipstick I own is in the shade 434, which appears to be light brownish. If you’re looking for a high-quality budget lipstick, give this one a try!

#4 MAC Spirit Lipstick

Of course, MAC couldn’t stay behind on my list of favorite lipsticks. To be honest, I only own 4 MAC lipsticks. But the MAC Spirit is one of my faves. This highly-pigmented lipstick has a satin finish and comes with a caramel kinda colour, which is a tiny bit darker than my natural lip colour. The lipstick seems matte but feels hydrating and soft on the lips. It’s definitely worth checking out!

#5 Lakmé 9 to 5 Primer + Matte lip color

This lipstick might not be as popular as the other lipsticks I mentioned, that’s because Lakmé is an Indian brand and it’s not available in all countries. However, I still want to give a short review because I adore this lipstick too much.

The lipstick I own is in the shade called “Hazel Rush”, which looks a lot like dark-brown. It comes with a matte finish and lasts around 12 hours. I really love the highly-pigmented colour and smooth application. If you ever see this brand, it’s worth checking out!

Hi guys, just wanted to let you all know I just updated my review on the Clinique cleansing brush because I ended up having some bad experiences with the brush, it started to malfunction and stopped charging etc.

I explained and described everything in the post and I’m writing about the new brush I bought, soo if you’re interested..

Hi guys! I thought it’d be time to write a review again…So in this post I’ll be writing about the Bobbi Brown’s brush-set and the Three Color Eyebrow Powder. I bought both products at the Emporium shopping mall in Bangkok.

Brush-set

The brushes come in a black, soft case with ‘Bobbi Brown’ carved in. These are the brushes:

Face blender brush

Blush brush

Foundation brush

Eyeshadow brushes (2)

Ultra-fine eyeliner brush

Eyebrow brush

Concealer brush

On the last picture, I’m holding the face-blending brush. This is the brush I use the most, because I usually combine two shades of foundation.

I’m absolutely loving these brushes! They’re so good! I love the way they feel and they leave such a natural-look on my skin. Also, I can easily recognize them out of all my other brushes by its color.

Three Color Eyebrow Powder

I didn’t take any eyebrow-powder with me to Thailand because I almost finished the one I had back then, so I thought I’d look for a new one in Bangkok. And I succeeded. But because of all the traveling and the rush, the eyebrow powder got a bit damaged. Luckily, I can still use my favorite colors. The middle color is really pigmented, so it’s not a good choice if you’d like to go for a natural (nude) look. But besides that, I love it. The little brush that came with the palette also works great for drawing / smudging your brows!

What product am I going to review?

I am going to review quite a high-end product: the Hydralife BB Cream by Dior. I think this was my first BB cream ever and I loved it from the beginning. I got this BB cream as a present and the shade doesn’t entirely match my skin tone, which is why I mix it with another foundation. Even though the shade isn’t right, I love the coverage this BB cream gives me. My shade is called ‘Sunny Amber’ and it has SPF 30, which might be exactly what you’re looking for!

Coverage

Dior’s Hydralife Beauty Balm is focused on protecting and hydrating the skin. If you’re looking for a BB cream or foundation that’s really gonna cover up your spots and acne, I wouldn’t recommend this one. This BB cream is suited for all skin types and available in many shades, so make sure you’ve got the right one. Mine looks a little ‘too orange’ on my face, since I already got a darker skin tone.

Package + Feeling

Dior’s Hydralife BB cream comes in a grey triangular tube (50 ml) . The shade is indicated in a frame which says ‘BB cream’. The tube is quite small and tall. The shape and look of this tube shows it’s a high-end product. It does feel a little heavy on my face, like, I can definitely feel that I’m wearing something. But maybe that’s because I know I don’t have the right shade so it makes me feel uncomfortable.

What did it cost me? + Where can you buy it?

I didn’t buy this BB cream myself, I got it as a present. You can buy it online on Sephora, Dior and Amazon. I think the common price is $56 and €54. It’s quite expensive but let’s be real, it’s Dior. + There’s also a Hydralife eyecream with SPF 20 so if you prefer that, check this out!

Conclusion:

This is a great BB cream and I’d definitely recommend it to people who aren’t looking for a real coverage, but do want an even skin tone. And the BB cream has SPF 30, which is a huge plus. I do think there are cheaper alternatives with the same results though, so if you think this BB cream is a little too expensive (which I totally understand), there’s so many more!

Which product am I going to review today?

The Maybelline New York Dream Pure BB cream (8-in-1). I’ve been using this BB cream a lot lately, it works like a foundation for me. I’ve got the medium tone with SPF 15, for an oily skin. The BB cream also has 2% Salicylic Acid which dries out acne.

How much did it cost me?

I bought this BB cream for €10 in a drugstore and I’m using it for quite some months now. I think it’s worth the price because it’s only a BB cream and does what it says.

Coverage

Since it’s a BB cream, you won’t get much coverage but if you’ve got an unequal skin tone (light or dark spots on your face) , the BB cream can make it look a little more equal and smooth. It also covers up any imperfections or flaws. You can use the cream with or without a moisturizer.

8-in-1

Conceals imperfections

Helps protect against the appearance of blemishes

Oil-free, non-greasy

Minimises the appearance of pores

Clarifies the skin’s look

Conceals redness

Hydrates and smoothes

Complements skin tone

Package + feeling

The package of the Dream Pure BB cream looks quite cute, actually. The flacon is small and has a bit of a triangle shape. The cream is very light-weight and you can easily apply it, you won’t even feel that you’re actually wearing anything on your face.

What does it look like?

When I’m wearing the Dream Pure BB cream, my face does not look cakey at all. I can barely see my pores, that’s all covered up. I can go 6 – 7 hours without noticing my oily skin, which makes me feel really comfortable. But I’d always apply some matte powder or finishing spray on top of your make-up to make sure everything stays in place.

Conclusion:

The Dream Pure BB Cream does exactly what it’s supposed to do, it works really well and also looks great. It doesn’t feel too heavy on your face and it even has SPF 15, which is a ‘must’ for a lot of girls.